Wednesday at Wimbledon will see two men’s quarterfinal matches. This half of the draw seems wide-open, but three of the four remaining players have at least reached a Major final before. The fourth is a fairy tale run from a British wild card. As always, our writers at LWOT share their thoughts on the matches. Predicting these matches are Harsh Bhoot, Zain Mustafa, Ilemona Onekutu, Yesh Ginsburg, and Ateet Shivastavra. Who do you think will reach the semis?
Wimbledon Quarterfinal Predictions
Flavio Cobolli vs Arthur Fery
Harsh:
Cobolli is backing up his breakthrough French Open final appearance with a quarterfinal appearance again at Wimbledon. The Italian put up a dominating performance in the Round of 16, taking out the fifth seed Alex de Minaur in straight sets. Fery is having a dream Wimbledon and all credit to him. The home favorite has a fantastic baseline game, and this tournament has shown he can be a force to reckon with in the future. That being said, Fery has played a lot this week and the last and the pressures of a Wimbledon quarterfinal may be too much against Cobolli, who is more experienced at this level and his game style should match better against Fery.
Prediction: Cobolli in 4
Zain:
After receiving a wild card into the main draw, Arthur Fery has made history by becoming the first British male wild card to reach a Slam quarterfinal in the Open Era. Now, to reach the semifinals, he will have to overcome Flavio Cobolli, a player who has shown that he plays his best tennis at the biggest events. This match will likely come down to whether Fery can consistently outhit and break through Cobolli’s superior movement and scrambling abilities. Another factor is fatigue, as although the entire crowd will be behind him, Fery has played much more tennis than Cobolli throughout this tournament. And although the Brit can redline and have some phases of success in this matchup, it is far more likely that the Italian overwhelms him from the baseline on his way to making his second Major semifinal.
Prediction: Cobolli in 4
Ilemona:
Cobolli has been one of the more consistent players this year with good results across surfaces, including decent grass showings. Fery will have the home crowd behind him and can play aggressive tennis, but Cobolli’s power and return game should trouble him more over the course of the match. The Italian feels a step ahead in big moments right now.
Prediction: Cobolli in 4
Yesh:
I don’t want to rain on the Fery parade here, but I’m not expecting a close match. Fery has made the most of an opportunity, but a large part of this run has been opponents not at their best or comfortable on grass. Maybe the crowd was part of that, and maybe it gets to Cobolli too. But I doubt it.
Prediction: Cobolli in 3
Ateet:
Arthur Fery has been the story of the men’s side at this Wimbledon, and his never-give-up attitude has won him matches from losing positions multiple times. Flavio Cobolli, on the other hand, has matched his last year’s quarterfinal run and will be looking to reach the semifinals for the first time. Fery defeated Cobolli earlier this season at the Australian Open, but the Italian was under the weather in that match, and I expect him to take revenge here. Cobolli won’t mind the backhand rallies, and his forehand is stronger of the two. Fery will need to serve well to make this close.
Prediction: Cobolli in 4
Taylor Fritz vs Alexander Zverev
Harsh:
This should be a blockbuster quarterfinal. Fritz has had Zverev’s number in their head-to-head, leading 10-5 and winning the last seven matches–including a win at Halle this year. However, Zverev is looking very confident in best-of-five ever since he won his first Major at the French Open. Fritz definitely looks great entering this match but I will expect Zverev to turn the lopsided head-to-head around, going for the more aggressive shots that he is very capable of.
Prediction: Zverev in 4
Zain:
Now a Slam champion, Alexander Zverev has checked off another milestone by making his first-ever quarterfinal at SW19. But the task ahead is arguably his toughest matchup on tour right now: Taylor Fritz, a player to whom the German has now lost seven consecutive times. A big reason for that is that Fritz does much of what Zverev does, but with a higher level of aggression. He has the better forehand, an equally good serve and backhand, and on grass arguably the better return. The American played one of his best matches of the year in the previous round, and if he brings a level anywhere near that into this match, he should be able to secure his eighth straight victory over the world No.3.
Prediction: Fritz in 4
Ilemona:
This quarterfinal brings together two of the tour’s biggest servers, but they arrive with very different Wimbledon histories. Zverev is appearing in his first Wimbledon quarterfinal after finally putting together a deep run at the All England Club, while Fritz has consistently excelled on grass and carries a significant psychological edge, having won eight of their last nine meetings. His ability to stay aggressive on return and consistently come through this matchup makes him the slight pick to advance.
Prediction: Fritz in 5
Yesh:
Fritz absolute loves this matchup. He has won seven straight against Zverev, including just a few weeks ago in Halle. He matches the German from the baseline, and for some reason reads Zverev’s serve better than most others. The matches have been close, with plenty of tiebreaks, but Fritz has all of the advantages in this one–psychological and physical. I expect the American to advance.
Prediction: Fritz in 4
Ateet:
Taylor Fritz has been super impressive, as expected on this surface, and he will like his chances of making the final here. He has won the last seven matches against Alexander Zverev and definitely has the mental advantage in this matchup. However, despite the head-to-head disadvantage, this matchup is not as bad for Zverev as it is for him against Jannik Sinner and with the added confidence of winning a Grand Slam, he could be more dangerous than ever. Fritz has the advantage on return, which is key on this surface, but I expect Zverev to make big cuts on return this time and bring the heat to the American.
Prediction: Zverev in 5
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
